Matthew 13
13Later that same day Jesus left the house and sat beside the lake.G1161G1722G1565G2250G1831G2424G575G3614G2521G3844G22812A large crowd soon gathered around him, so he got into a boat. Then he sat there and taught as the people stood on the shore.G2532G4183G3793G4863G4314G846G5620G846G1684G1519G4143G2521G2532G3956G3793G2476G1909G1233He told many stories in the form of parables, such as this one: "Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seeds.G2532G2980G4183G846G1722G3850G3004G2400G4687G1831G46874As he scattered them across his field, some seeds fell on a footpath, and the birds came and ate them.G2532G1722G846G4687G3739G3303G4098G3844G3598G2532G4071G2064G2532G2719G846G27195Other seeds fell on shallow soil with underlying rock. The seeds sprouted quickly because the soil was shallow.G1161G243G4098G1909G4075G3699G2192G3756G4183G1093G2532G2112G1816G1223G2192G3361G899G10936But the plants soon wilted under the hot sun, and since they didn't have deep roots, they died.G1161G2246G393G2739G2532G1223G2192G3361G4491G35837Other seeds fell among thorns that grew up and choked out the tender plants.G1161G243G4098G1909G173G2532G173G305G2532G638G8468Still other seeds fell on fertile soil, and they produced a crop that was thirty, sixty, and even a hundred times as much as had been planted!G1161G243G4098G1909G2570G1093G2532G1325G2590G3739G3303G1540G1161G3739G1835G1161G3739G51449Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand."G3588G2192G3775G191G19110His disciples came and asked him, "Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?"G2532G3101G4334G2036G846G1302G2980G846G1722G385011He replied, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.G611G1161G2036G846G3754G1325G5213G1097G3466G932G3772G1161G1565G1325G3756G132512To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them.G1063G3748G2192G846G1325G2532G4052G1161G3748G2192G3756G575G846G142G2532G3739G219213That is why I use these parables, For they look, but they don't really see. They hear, but they don't really listen or understand.G1223G5124G2980G846G1722G3850G3754G991G991G3756G2532G191G191G3756G3761G492014This fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that says, 'When you hear what I say, you will not understand. When you see what I do, you will not comprehend.G2532G1909G846G378G4394G2268G3588G3004G189G191G2532G4920G3364G4920G2532G991G991G2532G1492G3364G149215For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes—so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.'G1063G5127G2992G2588G3975G2532G3775G917G191G2532G846G3788G2576G3379G1492G3788G2532G191G3775G2532G4920G2588G2532G1994G2532G2390G84616"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.G1161G3107G5216G3788G3754G991G2532G5216G3775G3754G19117I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, but they didn't see it. And they longed to hear what you hear, but they didn't hear it.G1063G281G3004G5213G3754G4183G4396G2532G1342G1937G1492G3739G991G2532G1492G3756G1492G2532G191G3739G191G2532G191G3756G19118"Now listen to the explanation of the parable about the farmer planting seeds.G191G5210G3767G3850G468719The seed that fell on the footpath represents those who hear the message about the Kingdom and don't understand it. Then the evil one comes and snatches away the seed that was planted in their hearts.G3956G191G3056G932G2532G4920G3361G2064G4190G2532G726G3588G4687G1722G846G2588G3778G2076G4687G3844G359820The seed on the rocky soil represents those who hear the message and immediately receive it with joy.G1161G4687G1909G4075G3778G2076G191G3056G2532G2117G3326G5479G2983G84621But since they don't have deep roots, they don't last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God's word.G1161G2192G3756G4491G1722G1438G235G2076G4340G1161G2347G2228G1375G1096G1223G3056G2117G462422The seed that fell among the thorns represents those who hear God's word, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the worries of this life and the lure of wealth, so no fruit is produced.G1161G4687G1519G173G2076G3778G191G3056G2532G3308G5127G165G2532G539G4149G4846G3056G2532G1096G17523The seed that fell on good soil represents those who truly hear and understand God's word and produce a harvest of thirty, sixty, or even a hundred times as much as had been planted!"G1161G4687G1909G2570G1093G2076G3778G191G3056G2532G4920G3739G1211G2592G2532G4160G3739G3303G1540G1161G3739G1835G1161G3739G514424Here is another story Jesus told: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field.G243G3850G3908G846G3004G932G3772G3666G444G4687G4687G2570G4690G1722G846G6825But that night as the workers slept, his enemy came and planted weeds among the wheat, then slipped away.G1161G1722G444G2518G846G2190G2064G2532G4687G2215G303G3319G4621G2532G56526When the crop began to grow and produce grain, the weeds also grew.G1161G3753G5528G985G2532G4160G2590G5119G5316G2215G253227"The farmer's workers went to him and said, 'Sir, the field where you planted that good seed is full of weeds! Where did they come from?'G1161G1401G3617G4334G2036G846G2962G4687G3780G4687G2570G4690G1722G4674G68G4159G3767G2192G221528"'An enemy has done this!' the farmer exclaimed. "'Should we pull out the weeds?' they asked.G1161G5346G846G2190G444G4160G5124G1161G1401G2036G846G2309G3767G565G4816G846G481629"'No,' he replied, 'you'll uproot the wheat if you do.G1161G5346G3756G3379G4816G2215G1610G4621G260G84630Let both grow together until the harvest. Then I will tell the harvesters to sort out the weeds, tie them into bundles, and burn them, and to put the wheat in the barn.'"G863G297G4885G3360G2326G2532G1722G2540G2326G2046G2327G4816G4412G2215G2532G1210G846G1519G1197G4314G2618G846G1161G4863G4621G1519G3450G59631Here is another illustration Jesus used: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like a mustard seed planted in a field.G243G3850G3908G846G3004G932G3772G2076G3664G2848G4615G3739G444G2983G4687G1722G846G6832It is the smallest of all seeds, but it becomes the largest of garden plants; it grows into a tree, and birds come and make nests in its branches."G3739G3303G2076G3398G3956G4690G1161G3752G837G2076G3187G3001G2532G1096G1186G5620G4071G3772G2064G2532G2681G1722G2798G84633Jesus also used this illustration: "The Kingdom of Heaven is like the yeast a woman used in making bread. Even though she put only a little yeast in three measures of flour, it permeated every part of the dough."G243G3850G2980G846G932G3772G2076G3664G2219G3739G1135G2983G1470G1519G5140G4568G224G2193G3650G3739G222034Jesus always used stories and illustrations like these when speaking to the crowds. In fact, he never spoke to them without using such parables.G3956G5023G2980G2424G3793G1722G3850G2532G5565G3850G2980G3756G84635This fulfilled what God had spoken through the prophet: "I will speak to you in parables. I will explain things hidden since the creation of the world."G3704G4137G3588G4483G1223G4396G3004G455G3450G4750G1722G3850G2044G2928G575G2602G288936Then, leaving the crowds outside, Jesus went into the house. His disciples said, "Please explain to us the story of the weeds in the field."G5119G2424G863G3793G863G2064G1519G3614G2532G846G3101G4334G846G3004G5419G2254G3850G2215G6837Jesus replied, "The Son of Man is the farmer who plants the good seed.G611G1161G2036G846G4687G2570G4690G2076G5207G44438The field is the world, and the good seed represents the people of the Kingdom. The weeds are the people who belong to the evil one.G1161G68G2076G2889G1161G2570G4690G3778G1526G5207G932G1161G2215G1526G5207G419039The enemy who planted the weeds among the wheat is the devil. The harvest is the end of the world, and the harvesters are the angels.G1161G2190G4687G846G2076G1228G1161G2326G2076G4930G165G1161G2327G1526G3240"Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world.G5618G3767G2215G4816G2532G2618G4442G3779G2071G1722G4930G5127G16541The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.G5207G444G649G846G32G2532G4816G1537G846G932G3956G4625G2532G4160G45842And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.G2532G906G846G1519G2575G4442G1563G2071G2805G2532G1030G359943Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's Kingdom. Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand!G5119G1342G1584G5613G2246G1722G932G846G3962G3588G2192G3775G191G19144"The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man discovered hidden in a field. In his excitement, he hid it again and sold everything he owned to get enough money to buy the field.G3825G932G3772G2076G3664G2344G2928G1722G68G3739G444G2147G2928G2532G575G5479G846G5217G2532G4453G3956G3745G2192G2532G59G1565G6845"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.G3825G932G3772G2076G3664G1713G444G2212G2570G313546When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!G3739G2147G1520G3135G4186G565G4097G3956G3745G2192G2532G59G84647"Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a fishing net that was thrown into the water and caught fish of every kind.G3825G932G3772G2076G3664G4522G906G1519G2281G2532G4863G1537G3956G108548When the net was full, they dragged it up onto the shore, sat down, and sorted the good fish into crates, but threw the bad ones away.G3739G3753G4137G307G1909G123G2532G2523G4816G2570G1519G30G1161G906G4550G185449That is the way it will be at the end of the world. The angels will come and separate the wicked people from the righteous,G3779G2071G1722G4930G165G32G1831G2532G873G4190G1537G3319G134250throwing the wicked into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.G2532G906G846G1519G2575G4442G1563G2071G2805G2532G1030G359951Do you understand all these things?" "Yes," they said, "we do."G2424G3004G846G4920G3956G5023G3956G3004G846G3483G296252Then he added, "Every teacher of religious law who becomes a disciple in the Kingdom of Heaven is like a homeowner who brings from his storeroom new gems of truth as well as old."G1161G2036G846G1223G5124G3956G1122G3100G1519G932G3772G2076G3664G444G3617G3748G1544G1537G846G2344G2537G2532G382053When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country.G2532G1096G3753G2424G5055G5025G3850G3332G156454He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, "Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?"G2532G2064G1519G846G3968G1321G846G1722G846G4864G5620G846G1605G2532G3004G4159G5129G3778G4678G2532G141155Then they scoffed, "He's just the carpenter's son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas.G2076G3756G3778G5045G5207G3004G3780G846G3384G3004G3137G2532G846G80G2385G2532G2500G2532G4613G2532G245556All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?"G2532G846G79G1526G3780G3956G4314G2248G4159G3767G5129G3956G502357And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him. Then Jesus told them, "A prophet is honored everywhere except in his own hometown and among his own family."G2532G4624G1722G846G1161G2424G2036G846G4396G2076G3756G820G1508G1722G846G3968G2532G1722G846G361458And so he did only a few miracles there because of their unbelief.G2532G4160G3756G4183G1411G1563G1223G846G570
Columbus, OH
of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.G611
